Seven little heroes who know what it is like to be truly heartbroken are fronting up a national campaign to raise awareness of congenital heart disease.

The children, who range from just one-year-old to seven, have each been through open-heart surgery at least once.

The kids - Aimee, Caiden, Cameron, Grace, Lewis, Katie and Poppy - live all over Northern Ireland and will be appearing on billboards, bus stops, buses and social media right across the region over the next few weeks.

The ‘Ever been heartbroken?’ campaign seeks to raise the profile of congenital heart disease, Northern Ireland’s most common birth defect and support for the Children’s Heartbeat Trust’s work across Northern Ireland.

The charity provides family support and information networks, fundraising for vital medical equipment for the Clark Clinic at the Royal Hospital and counselling services.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Sarah Quinlan, Chief Executive, Children’s Heartbeat Trust said: “Every year 200 babies are born with congenital heart disease which is Northern Ireland’s most common birth defect.

"They may have to go through serious operations as small children and learn how to live with complex heart defects. This campaign highlights the very real heartbreak that so many children have to go through every year.

“The impact of congenital heart disease on families can be huge and we hope that this awareness campaign will allow the Children’s Heartbeat Trust to continue to offer practical and emotional support to these families.

"We want to ensure that our work supports more children like the young stars of the ‘Ever Been Heartbroken?’ campaign.”

To find out more about the Children’s Heartbeat Trust click here or donate £5 to the ‘Ever been heartbroken?’ campaign by texting HEARTS to 70660.